Camera traps in Peru

The Amazon rainforest is home to some of the world's most incredible wildlife. But it's not everyday that you get a chance to see these unique creatures in action, especially when they are usually found hiding in the dense tropical jungle.

Thanks to camera traps set up by WWF in the Peruvian Amazon, many rare species have been caught on film as they move about the forest.

Meet the animals

There’s the jaguar, the largest cat species in South America, as well as the smaller-sized puma and ocelot.

Moving past the camera in search of food – and to not become food for the above mentioned predators - are red brocket deer, collared and white-lipped peccaries, and a razor-billed curassow.

Other native species posing for the camera include a tapir, a giant anteater and giant armadillo, a short-eared dog and a weasel-like tayra.

Cameras for conservation

WWF is working in the Amazon to protect these species and many others.

By using camera traps, scientists can learn more about a species and their habits as well as threats to their survival, which include habitat loss, deforestation, hunting and wildlife trade.

This valuable information will contribute to WWF’s efforts to develop effective conservation measures.

Jaguar (Panthera onca): Jaguars are threatened by habitat loss and retaliatory killings by ranchers as jaguars sometimes take livestock.